On the Shoulder's of Giants- Part 2

2. Heroes cheer us on–When we are in the thick of a spiritual struggle or painful circumstance it is easy to lose sight of our end goal. God, in His mercy, doesn’t intend for us to walk through these valleys alone. He has surrounded us with grandstands of witnesses to cheer us on the way and remind us of His greater perspective. They too struggled with loneliness, grieved over sin, and cried from a broken heart. Yet in the end they bear this witness: He is worthy, He is faithful, He is Sovereign.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus… Hebrews 12:1,2a”

William Borden is one of those witnesses in my life. As heir to the multi-million dollar Borden Dairy company, he shocked the world by leaving fame and fortune behind that he might share Jesus with Muslims in China. During his years of ministry preparation at Yale and Princeton, his zeal for the lost and his fervent prayer ministry transformed both college campuses. Just months after his ordination in 1912 and well-publicized departure to China, 26 year old Borden contracted spinal meningitis and died. At the back of his Bible was written this statement: “No retreats, no reserves, no regrets.”

Though seen as "a waste" in the world's terms, both his life and his death continue to challenge me to hand over all those temporal toys and amusements that hinder total consecration. His role model shows me the beautiful, eternal fruit of dying to self that I might live unto Christ.

On the Shoulder's of Giants- Part 1

Several years ago I wrote this breif article for Ambassador magazine on the great blessing of becoming a student of heroes of faith, particularly of faithful missionaries. It is not that missionaries are the only ones with great faith, it is just that their life frequently becomes a showcase for miraculous demonstration of God's power and reading about it challenges us to take God out of the box of our expectations and think big. Being mentored by heroes of faith, both past and present, men and women, is something close to my heart. We have to be intentional about it.

But I'm going to be redundant. I'll just let you read it for yourself. I'll be posting it in three parts, so stay tuned.

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Part 1
On the Shoulder’s of Giants
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." Sir Isaac Newton

In every generation there are a few who dare to trust God in extreme measure. They are men and women who sit still long enough to hear God’s missionary heart and continue listening until they know how He would have them respond. They are ordinary people used by God in extraordinary ways to spread His glory among the nations.

I am blessed that my parents surrounded me with many such Biblical and historical heroes and heroines growing up. Missionary stories were always a favorite. My father would sit on the bed with all us kids around him and read fascinating accounts of supernatural provision, protection, and conversion. Sometimes at night my mom would turn on dramatized audio biographies of missionaries and I would fall asleep dreaming I was learning Chinese with Hudson Taylor or leading orphans across the mountains with Gladys Aylward. As a little girl, their stories strongly shaped my view of God.

Over the years my appreciation for the practical insight and spiritual determination of these missionaries of faith has grown. We have the awesome privilege of being mentored by Christianities great soul-winners! Here are three significant ways studying their lives enhances our own spiritual walk.

1. Heroes model faith –Scripture exhorts us to study faithful Believers in order to stretch and grow the borders of our own faith. “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Hebrews 6:12.” From the beginning, modeling a living, dynamic faith has been the primary method for transferring that same faith to the next generation.

Faith-full missionaries are characterized by their commitment to the infallible Word of God and intercessory prayer. It is the dayspring of their missionary vision. It is the secret of their availability to shake the gates of hell. In the small requests and the big needs, in frozen wastelands and muggy jungles, missionaries of faith have seen God’s promises put to extreme tests and have always found them infinitely strong and sweet. Their stories remind us that His grace is sufficient. His peace is beyond understanding. His Word is our richest treasure.

No Sacrifice Too Great

Quotes by missionaries and about missions will be a regular feature on this blog. What I love most about them is that I am reminded that God desires to do great and mighty things through ordinary people who live with extra-ordinary faith. My own faith is stretched. I had a hard time picking where to begin with these, so I'm just diving right in.

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." -- C.T. Studd

C.T. Studd, missionary in China, India, and Africa, has an awesome testimony. You can read more about him, and the story behind this quote by clicking here.

What is Missionary Heart blog about?

I don't like to set sail without a destination! So, for everyone coming along for the ride, this blog has a 4-fold destination.

1) To bring God glory!
2) To stir up fervent and specific prayer for unreached people, the persecuted church, and missionaries all over the world. We pray best when we can pray specifically.
3) To share gleanings of mission resources from agencies, organizations, churches, books, websites, missionaries, etc… that allow each of us to more clearly and more boldly follow God’s plan for us in living out a missionary heart.
4) To stir each of us out of our comfort zone. When we are regularly reminded of God’s majesty, His compassion for the lost, and His worth-ship, we gain faith to swallow our fears, petty selfishness, and small ambitions.

I need to be reminded continually of all of these things myself. I've found that especially in a world that is so hectic and me-focused, we need regular reminders to look upward and outward.

Next time, I’d like to mention more specifically the types of resources that I hope to be putting up. Thanks for waiting as this blog gets going.

A Blog Begins

Missionary Heart blog been on my heart for almost a year and a half and I'm so excited to actually be typing this first post, even though it is a work in progress. By God's grace, I hope to create a place to where people of all ages can find resources, support, and inspiration that fans their understanding of and devotion to living out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. There are dozens and dozens of topics/ideas/comments/questions I can't wait to put down, but for the moment they are on hold while I figure out more of the details of getting this thing up and going.

This blog isn't about me, it's about knowing Jesus Christ and growing in passion and dedication to make Him known among the people of the world. He is worthy.